Just arriving at the intersection of Lanh Binh Thang - Ton That Hiep, the characteristic aroma of traditional Chinese medicine at Lam Ky stew shop easily attracts every step.
The fragrant aroma of Chinese herbal stew fills the air all over Ton That Hiep Street - Photo: Le Duy
Located at 196 Ton That Hiep (District 11, Ho Chi Minh City), Lam Ky offal has long been a familiar address for Saigonese who love the rich flavor of herbal offal.
With secret recipes and a delicate blend of herbs, the restaurant not only evokes old flavors but also creates a unique Chinese cuisine in the heart of the city.
Braised offal with pickled cabbage and Chinese herbs
As soon as I visited the restaurant, Mr. Luong (real name Lam Vi Nhuan) warmly introduced: "This dish was passed down to me by my "master", and I started this business 28 years ago!"
Looking from the counter, the dishes are neatly arranged and clean, with all kinds of ingredients such as pig intestines, tongue, stomach, pig ears, ham, tofu, eggs, duck intestines, wings...
Parts such as the spirit animal, stomach, tongue, sugarcane leaves... are neatly arranged - Photo: Le Duy
In addition to pork offal stew, customers can pre-order dishes such as salted steamed chicken and soy sauce chicken - dishes that are also very popular here.
Pickled cabbage is an indispensable dish when enjoying Chinese offal.
Uncle Luong bought and carefully prepared the pickled cabbage, then soaked it in Chinese herbal broth - a special secret that helps the cabbage achieve the ideal crispness while still retaining its mild sour taste.
Cabbage is soaked in Chinese herbs to keep its crispness - Photo: Le Duy
Cooking Chinese medicine - Photo: Le Duy
The rich aroma of traditional Chinese medicine, mixed with a little sweetness of herbs, permeates each piece of phá lấu, creating a unique and attractive flavor.
The strong aroma from the Chinese herbs is not too strong but just right, helping the dish to smell good but still pleasant.
"Many people even buy the broth with pickled cabbage separately to feed babies and the elderly. This dish is very good for health!", Mr. Luong shared with Tuoi Tre Online .
"Buy elsewhere, it's not as good!"
Coming to the pho lau cart since it opened, but Tuoi Tre Online saw that customers did not line up, but came continuously in waves, as soon as one person finished selling, another came, making it impossible for the owner to rest.
Around 3:30 p.m., customers started coming and going continuously, making Mr. Luong unable to rest - Photo: Le Duy
However, Mr. Luong also expressed: "Actually, the sales volume is not the same as before, this is due to the pandemic so it is not like before. Back then, I sold non-stop, now sometimes I have free time."
A humorous customer said: "Yesterday the restaurant was closed and I didn't know. I bought it from another place but it was... chewy and not delicious! I'm used to eating here."
Customers often come back here not only because of the unique flavors, but also because of Mr. Luong's carefulness and "doing business with heart", making everyone feel like coming home.
"Even though I have the ingredients from the day before, I start preparing the ingredients to put in the Chinese medicine pot from 5:30 to 6:00 every morning. Usually I open for sale at 3:00 p.m., but by 8:00 p.m., there are no more ingredients," said Mr. Luong.
Pha Lau Lam Ky serves many options, with prices ranging from 38,000 to 45,000 VND/tael, depending on the type of dish. Bread 25,000 VND/loaf - Photo: Le Duy
Surrounded by bustling traffic, Lam Ky offal restaurant appears as the "intersection" between tradition and modernity, the starting point of a unique Chinese space on Ton That Hiep street.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/pha-lau-long-heo-cai-chua-thuoc-bac-ngon-dau-bang-lam-ky-20241028191226512.htm
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